Wind Shift Delays Marathon Swim Try

May 21, 1986|By John Platero, Staff Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A threat of shifting winds capable of churning the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast has prevented marathon swimmer Stella Taylor from starting her attempt to swim from the Bahama Islands to Palm Beach County.

Taylor, 56, was to have started her 80-mile ocean effort from Gun Cay, 15 miles south of the Bimini Islands, on Tuesday morning, but a decision to cancel the attempt was made late Monday.

Because of the scarcity of communications to the two-island group due east of Broward County, the Fort Lauderdale athlete was unable to advise part of her crew, which awaited her arrival in Bimini.

``I feel bad we couldn`t go, but the seas have to be just right for a marathon swim,`` Taylor said when she met the lobster boat Big Brother after it returned to Fort Lauderdale. The 36-foot vessel was to have been the command post for Taylor`s swim.

Taylor said she now plans to try again sometime next month.

The decision to cancel was made by Taylor and Bob Duenkel, her coach and managing director of the Swimming Hall of Fame.

While the seas were calm and the sun shining where Taylor was to have started the swim, she had to take into account forecasts of what the winds and seas would be for at least the following 36 hours.

The trajectory from Gun Cay to Palm Beach County would extend about 80 miles and take her at least two days and one night.

Ideally, Taylor needs calm seas and a light southeast wind, the latter to help push her in a northwesterly direction.